| name | keyword-research |
| description | Content planning framework using the 6 Circles Method for identifying high-value topics without paid SEO tools. This skill should be used when building content strategy from scratch, planning quarterly content calendars, finding content gaps, or when unsure what to write about next. |
Keyword Research
This skill identifies high-value content opportunities by finding the intersection of audience interest, business value, and market opportunity - without requiring expensive SEO tools.
Objective
Discover content topics that sit at the intersection of six critical factors: what you can credibly write about, what your audience wants, what drives business, what people search for, where competitors are weak, and what's feasible to create.
The 6 Circles Method
Content gold exists where these six factors overlap:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ YOUR EXPERTISE │
│ (topics you have authority on) │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────────┼─────────────────────┐
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ AUDIENCE │ │ BUSINESS │ │ SEARCH │
│ INTERESTS │ │ GOALS │ │ DEMAND │
└──────┬──────┘ └──────┬──────┘ └──────┬──────┘
│ │ │
└────────────┬─────┴─────┬────────────┘
│ │
┌─────▼─────┐ ┌───▼───────┐
│COMPETITION│ │ CONTENT │
│ GAPS │ │FEASIBILITY│
└───────────┘ └───────────┘
Circle 1: Your Expertise
Topics where you (or your brand) have genuine authority, experience, or unique perspective.
Questions to ask:
- What have you done professionally for years?
- What do people ask you for advice on?
- What unique data, case studies, or experiences do you have?
- What contrarian views do you hold that you can defend?
Circle 2: Audience Interests
Topics your target audience actively seeks out and engages with.
Questions to ask:
- What questions do they ask in forums, communities, support tickets?
- What content do they share and comment on?
- What problems keep them up at night?
- What aspirations are they working toward?
Circle 3: Business Goals
Topics that align with revenue-generating activities.
Questions to ask:
- What topics lead to your product as a solution?
- What problems does your product solve?
- What content attracts buyers (not just browsers)?
- What topics position you for sales conversations?
Circle 4: Search Demand
Topics people actually search for on Google.
Questions to ask:
- Are people typing this into Google?
- What search volume exists (use free tools below)?
- Is search intent clear?
- Are results improving or declining over time?
Circle 5: Competition Gaps
Topics that are underserved by existing content.
Questions to ask:
- What's missing from top-ranking articles?
- Where is competitor content outdated or thin?
- What angles haven't been covered?
- What questions remain unanswered?
Circle 6: Content Feasibility
Topics you can realistically create quality content for.
Questions to ask:
- Do you have the expertise or access to create this?
- What resources are required (time, interviews, data)?
- Can you make this better than what exists?
- Is this maintainable/updatable?
Free Research Methods
Google Autocomplete
- Type your seed keyword into Google
- Note all autocomplete suggestions
- Add letters a-z after your keyword for more variations
- Use underscore (_) to find words people use before your keyword
People Also Ask
- Search your topic on Google
- Click on "People Also Ask" boxes
- Each click reveals more questions
- Map questions to content ideas
Reddit/Quora Mining
- Search "[topic] site:reddit.com" or "site:quora.com"
- Look for frequently asked questions
- Note the language people use (not industry jargon)
- Find frustrated users = content opportunities
Competitor Content Gaps
- List top 5 competitor blogs
- Scan their most popular posts
- Identify topics they haven't covered
- Find posts that are outdated or thin
Google Search Console (if available)
- Check "Search Results" report
- Find queries you rank for positions 5-20
- These are low-hanging optimization opportunities
- Also reveals topics audience associates with you
Answer The Public (free tier)
- Enter seed keyword
- Get organized questions (who, what, when, where, why, how)
- Export and filter for relevance
Prioritization Matrix
Score each topic idea (1-5) on:
| Factor | Weight | Score |
|---|
| Expertise | 2x | __ |
| Audience Interest | 2x | __ |
| Business Alignment | 2x | __ |
| Search Demand | 1x | __ |
| Competition Gap | 1x | __ |
| Feasibility | 1x | __ |
Total = (Expertise × 2) + (Audience × 2) + (Business × 2) + Search + Competition + Feasibility
Tier your topics:
- Tier 1 (40+): Prioritize immediately
- Tier 2 (30-39): Strong candidates
- Tier 3 (20-29): Worth considering
- Below 20: Deprioritize
Content-to-Funnel Mapping
Map topics to the buyer journey:
| Funnel Stage | Content Purpose | Topic Types |
|---|
| Awareness | Attract new audience | How-to, What is, Trends, Problems |
| Consideration | Educate on solutions | Comparisons, Best practices, Guides |
| Decision | Convert to customers | Case studies, Demos, vs. Competitors |
| Retention | Keep customers successful | Advanced tips, Updates, Community |
Output Format
When completing keyword research, deliver:
- Research Summary: Methods used, scope of analysis
- Topic Candidates: 20-50 topic ideas with 6-circle scores
- Prioritized List: Top 10-15 topics ranked by total score
- Funnel Distribution: Topics mapped to buyer journey stages
- Content Calendar Recommendation: Suggested topics for next quarter
- Quick Wins: Topics that could be published within a week
Cross-References
- Feed prioritized topics to
seo-content for article creation
- Use audience language discoveries in
direct-response-copy
- Inform
newsletter topic planning with research insights
- Topic gaps may inspire
lead-magnet ideas
content-atomizer can repurpose pillar content identified here
